Tablet PCs

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Tablet PCs

• Greenwich Pilot Scheme

Patrick White Assistant Director Greenwich LEA
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E-Learning in Greenwich
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Background

• Millennium School took part in the trial for
  Greenwich
• RM provided 15 prototypes for the classroom
• Teacher models to enable the staff to feedback
  on their design and use.
• Models for directorate and advisory service

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Design
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Whole Class Teaching
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Put to the Test
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Put to the Test

• Brainstorming
• Half on Desktops, half with Tablets
• Colour Magic Vs MS Journal
• 100 preferred the tablet, the intuitive
  interface allowed them to brainstorm in any way
  they liked.

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Out and About

• Outside the Classroom
• Used for drawing
• Taken on school journey
• Reasonable to carry,
• One dropped to hard ground and happily survived.
• the loading time and battery life was
  prohibitive
• Dimness of the screen made it very difficult to
  see in the daylight.
• Adapt at sketching and much potential as the
  best interface yet for digital art.

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Early Years
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What the teachers think
"I like the potential of them but the current
prototypes have a design flaw regarding the
wireless network card that lacks the correct
shielding. When they can run from the network and
connect to the internet successfully there will
be a wealth of opportunities for teaching and
learning with them. The children loved using them
and understood the interface with the pen almost
instantly. Outside use is a real benefit,
especially the sketch pad/ journal which enables
you to take hadwritten notes and drawings which
can be converted to text afterwards.
Unfortunately the screens are a little too dim in
the sunlight though." Amanda Dennison (Deputy
Head and Year 6 Teacher) "I think it has
enormous potential, yet to be realised as we
begin to explore it's facilities and it is still
early days yet. Children are able to write their
own work and then pass it to peers for annotated
comments and suggestions for improvement. The
immediacy of the interface really facilitates
this." Dave Edwards (Headteacher - Millennium
Primary School)
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Pupil Comments
The tablet pc is a computer which is better than
a normal computer because it is wireless which
makes it better in some ways because you can hold
it in your hands. It also has a pen instead of a
mouse, which is a lot better because then you can
use your own handwriting which you can't do on a
normal computer. (Terrance) It is good because
if you lean on it, it doesnt make a mark. The
bad thing is if you were carrying it around you
might get tired and it is slightly heavy. The
other bad thing is if your battery was dead you
wont be able to use it. The thing I want to
change is that if the Tablet had a handle it
would be much more easier but these Tablets
havent got a handle so it makes life harder.
(Fathema) On the tablet PC you can do your
own pictures on a real computer you have to use
clipart. (Mark) Fifteen of them are in our
school to have a try on. We are having a
brilliant time on them we all wish they were ours
forever. (Aysha)